Breakeven
by MadaleineWinchester
Summary: Her name? Cassie Lee Brooke. And the rest is just history... (On Hiatus)
1. Feet Back on Hawaiian Ground

_**Title:** Breakeven_

 _ **Pairings:** Mainly Steve/OC, possibly Danny/Kono._

 _ **Summary:**_ _Cassie Brooke, or also known as Cass by Danny, has her head in Chicago but her heart has always been in Hawaii. Part of the CPD for nearly five years, she decides she needs a break. Hawaii, beaches, sun, Danny and Kono... and then he showed up. Who knew love could be so inconvenient?_

 _ **Notes:** Hello all and welcome to my first Hawaii Five-0 fanfiction. I'm super nervous but also very excited to share my plot bunny with you guys. The title belongs to a song made by one of my favourite bands ever, The Script. I think the song matches my story perfectly, tune and lyrics wise. I'd suggest giving it a listen. Anyway, if you did enjoy reading this chapter, don't be afraid to leave me a review as I am still very new in this fandom and can make some pretty dumb mistakes when it comes to Hawaiian culture, OOC moments, Law, and Police Force stuff. Flames will be used to bake some delicious cookies._

 _By the way, for anybody who likes to use visuals, my OC appears on the cover image._

* * *

 _'Once in love, always in love. It's like a drug. Some like the taste, other's don't. Some dare to try, others stay away. And even when you start to hate the taste of it, it never really leaves your taste buds. Love is something that, once in your system, you can't remove it'_

* * *

 **Backstory**

Fierce, strong and hardheaded. Not even those three adjectives would suffice to describe twenty-eight year old Cassie Brooke. Working in the Chicago Police Department, or also known as CPD, for nearly five years, she had her life somewhat figured. Only recently did she earn her badge as Lieutenant and she obviously felt proud, hoping one day that maybe she'd reach the top rank and become a renowned officer. She _breathed_ justice, _dreamt, ate, exhaled_ justice. The only thing she knew was being an officer. She lived alone, in a pretty livable, somewhat comfortable apartment that had an amazing view to Lake Michigan. Every morning, she'd wake up, take a long look at the river with a mug of coffee in her hands and just say to herself _Man, I still can't believe I'm here._

Her father John and mother Sarah had once lived in Chicago with her until they realized that she was no longer dependent on her parents. They decided to move to Hawaii, Honolulu, now that they had both retired, in seek of some rest and peace till the end of their days. Why Hawaii? Well, the island always had a special place in her parent's hearts and also in Cassie's. It was where her parents had their honeymoon and where the family often spent their Summer holidays when Cassie was still a little kid. So whenever they could, the first thing they'd do would be book a flight straight to Hawaii.

Some time ago, when she decided to go visit her parents, Cassie met Kono. Initially, she wasn't working at the HPD. It was on some day where a surfing competition was going on that the two bonded and ended up becoming friends, despite the distance between them physically. But emotionally, they were very close. Their bond definitely had something to do with the fact that they were both cops. Anytime Kono competed, Cassie promised to arrive at the scene. The person who was really there for her was Cassie when Kono ended up busting her knee at one of the competitions, impeding her from pursuing her surfing career. Instead, she opted to follow her cousin's footsteps as an officer.

The only people that Cassie had met and that were friends with Kono was Danny and her cousin, Chin. Cassie remembered liking Danny's personality a lot and liking how he had a laid back kinda of style. They had this thing where they called each other _mainlanders_ and it was sort of theirs, since they weren't born in Hawaii. She had also met Chin, less times than Danny, but still, she thought he was cool, too. But now, both her parents had passed at least two years ago due to natural causes and it hurt her ever so much every time she went to Hawaii. So the only reason she ever went there was to see Kono and Danny really.

So when she decided to ask her boss for some days off, since Summer was already approaching, she didn't expect to be given a twenty-five day break. She was far more than just excited and happy, but she could finally see her friend Kono. If only she really knew that this time, _maybe_ there was a chance she wasn't going to come back to Chicago _ever_ again.

. . .

Chapter 1: _Feet Back On Hawaiian Ground_

"If I didn't know you loved me, I'd think you were a murderer," Cassie joked as she held on tightly to her phone. Kono was on the other end, mustering a smile. Kono had promised to meet her at the airport to pick her up and she was asking her friend several times in a minute where on Earth she was, since Cassie was nowhere to be found. "I'm almost there. Hang on." Cassie said, putting her phone down for a moment. She placed her passport in front of the officer until he nodded, allowing her to go. She dragged along her only suitcase and put her phone back to her ear.

"Anyway, how have you been Kono?" Cassie asked as she walked through the airport she knew very well, the wheels on her suitcase scratching the marbled floor.

"Great, you know, but missing you a lot, Cass." She replied, earning an agreeing _mhm_ from her friend on the other end. Everybody except her colleagues at work back at the CPD called her Cass. She liked it short and preferred it that way.

"Me too, Kono," She sighed comfortably. She now stepped onto an escalator, knowing she was now not too far from a waiting Kono. Although she had done this several times, she couldn't help but get excited every time. "Hey, you know what else I miss?" Cass grinned to herself mischievously, her tone revealing a little excitement she couldn't contain.

"Let me guess?" Kono pretended to think for a moment. "Late night drinking at your favourite bar while sitting on the beach pretty much wasted? Kind of reminds me of that time we did something similar." Kono laughed, reliving that moment in her head.

Cass laughed along with her, feeling a sense of her loneliness dissipate. She felt, once again, whole. Damn, she really did miss spending some time with Kono. "You know, we can do that tonight. Except we can lay off the getting wasted part for now. Wouldn't want to arrive to work hungover." She snickered. It was already kind of late and it was already dark outside, so why not just celebrate now?

"Sure. I'm going to make you miss Hawaii so much you're not going to want to leave." Kono almost promised.

"You wish." She replied dishearteningly. Cassie then heard some distant murmuring through the phone that instantly got her attention and she quickly recognized who it was, making her smile even bigger. Kono covered the phone with her hands and murmured something else, though she couldn't distinguish what was being passed between them.

"Oh my God, and I thought Detectives were good at being secretive and crap like that." Cassie joked, referring to the fact that Danny was most likely hiding away in order to surprise her. It had failed miserably.

Danny huffed, making Kono shrug, though she couldn't help but laugh a little. Danny grabbed the phone and decided to speak since he had practically been detected. "Geez, Cass, I think you could replace me any day," He joked sarcastically. "Well, since my plan failed," He gave a sort of dirty look over at Kono. "How you been, my mainlander?"

"I've been great, Jersey Boy," She imitated, instantly missing Danny, too. "You're up for a drink, right?" She questioned unknowingly.

"Hey, I thought you knew me better!" He threw his hands to his side. "The day I say no to a drink is the day I stop being a cop." He said, making Cassie grin at that remark.

"Well, good thing then , Danny!" She said excitedly, copying his tone.

She was at last approaching the exit when she could see Danny's Camaro parked not too far. She spotted Kono's head and the unmistakable blonde head bobbing in the distance, too. She was leaning against the car, facing away from her and so was Danny. It had been awhile since she had last seen them both.

"Anyway, where are you? Seriously, it's been like ten minutes." She heard Danny speak to the phone as she headed closer and closer, both of them innocently unaware of her approach.

"Actually, it's been five." Cassie spoke to the phone as she stood next to the car. When Kono recognized her voice nearby, she quickly turned around and a huge smile appeared as she took in her friends appearance, Danny eventually doing the same. The first thing Kono did was hug her, well, more like jump onto her.

"Cassie Lee Brooke, hasn't it been a long time?" Kono said, a grin on her face as she pulled away from their tight embrace.

"Lee?" Danny questioned.

Cassie shook her head for a moment, a grin on her face. She looked at the floor and then up at Danny. "Yeah, I thought you knew. I usually don't tell anybody. It was _supposed_ to be a little secret." And when she accentuated the word 'supposed', she looked over at Kono.

"Oops." Kono replied.

"Okay, first of all," Danny placed his fist in front of Cassie. She knew exactly what to do. She bumped his fist onto his, grinning at their little greeting. "Welcome back to Hawaii. And second of all, I don't like secrets."

"Yeah, sorry about that," She patted his arm jokingly. "Won't be keeping anymore of those, I promise."

"By the way, you look great." Kono intervened, talking about Cassie's appearance.

"Yeah, really great." Danny added, motioning his arms up and down Cassie's figure.

To Cassie, she didn't look different at all, nor did she feel different. As a matter of fact, she was just a random Chicago born girl and nothing more than that. She had to admit, she had self-confidence issues that she hated to surface. It had been probably two years since she had last put her feet back on Hawaiian ground, so it was normal for them to think she had changed, almost like grandparents seeing you after probably a week of being absent. But what she didn't know was that Kono really meant it and Danny too,. Her dirty blonde hair, but leaned slightly more to the brown, was down for today. It reached just about the end of her shoulder blades and it curled a little at the ends. She was just the same ol' Cassie. Never wore make up and never really bothered too much with her appearance. But she had this special thing to her.

"Thanks. You both do too," She smiled. She opened the back of Danny's Camaro and shoved her suitcase into it, eventually closing it. "So, we're just going to stand here or are we actually going to have some fun?" She put her hands out in a questioning manner.

Danny nodded, looking over at Kono and then back at Cassie. "I didn't realize how much I missed you till now. Let's go," Danny said, throwing his car keys into the air and catching it with his palms, making Cassie smile. They were friends alright. "And for once, I'm actually driving my car!" He spoke to no one in particular, making Kono laugh.

Danny got in the front and so did Kono while Cassie stayed at the back. Kono noticed Cassie's confused look over Danny's remark and decided to pipe her in on the missing information. "Oh, Steve usually drives his car. He hates it. Sometimes." She looked over at Danny, smiling. All she knew about this Steve guy was that he was their boss and that he was Danny's partner. Other than that, not much else. There was no physical image of him to associate the name with.

"Woah, sometimes? The dude thinks he owns my car," He said while shoving the car keys into the keyhole. This Steve guy, at least straight off the bat, seemed a little arrogant. The engine started up. "Guys lucky I like him."

Cassie chuckled. She pushed herself forward and put herself between the two front seats. "I do have one question," She said and both front seat passengers turned their heads to look at her. "You both going to be working tomorrow?" She asked.

"Well, technically, yes," Kono said and Danny began to drive away to one of the local bars, she didn't really care which one, as long as it served alcohol. "But I'll ask Steve to let us take the day off. I'm sure he won't mind if I tell him a friend's come over to visit for a bit." She beamed, revealing her bright, white teeth.

Cass nodded, agreeing and accepting what she had said. Even if this Steve guy wouldn't let them have their day off, she knew where to go off to first and she would figure out what to do somehow, alone or not. There was always _something_ to do in Hawaii. And she figured she was in desperate need of a tan and some swimming in the sea with a coconut milk drink in her hands. They were beginning to approach a very busy area, inhibited with several bars and bright, neon signs painted all over the place.

"So, you haven't told me yet, Cass." Kono said a little vaguely.

"Told you what?" Cassie's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

She grinned. "No guy? Have you even been dating?" She questioned, her focus once again on the road ahead of her.

Cassie rolled her eyes at her friend, grinning in unison with her. _Who needs guys?_ she thought momentarily. "You really think I have time for dating? And anyway, do you remember Gabe?" She said, hoping something in Kono or Danny's memory would spark.

Her eyes eventually showed recognition. She nodded. "Oh, wait, you mean Gabe the prick?" Danny commented.

Cassie gave out a short laugh. "Yes, Danny, Gabe the prick."

"Remember what I told you, okay?" He said. "If he ever bothers you again, tell him you got some tough, Hawaiian cop friend that'll deal with his sorry ass." He used his thumb to point at himself while the other held firmly on the driving wheel. She loved that about Danny. He was protective over her and was just being a friend to her.

"Don't worry about it, Jersey Boy, I got it all covered. He hasn't bothered me for months now, and thank God for that." She smiled, sighing heavily though, not because she missed 'Gabe the prick' but because she was so stupid in thinking he actually cared about her. All he really wanted was one thing all along and that pretty much scarred her to the point where she no longer found dating amusing or interesting. She had given herself to this guy and got nothing in return but a broken heart. Love was the least of her interests. She had yet to find somebody who truly cared about her. Yes, she had Kono and Danny, but what she really meant was somebody that cared about her in _that way_. Maybe she was yearning that kind of attention from someone and she was just pretending it wasn't true, like she'd be fine for the rest of her life, with or without that special person. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, hating how she was so sensitive about silly things. She was a cop, she was strong, she didn't need a man in her life.

Kono noticed how Cass's mood had faltered a little, regretting quickly how she had brought the topic up so randomly. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk about him like that, it's just..." Kono spoke up, feeling sympathetic.

"Sorry for what? Oh come on, Kono, you did nothing wrong," She reassured, smiling through it, but the pain was still bottled up inside of her. "I'm fine."

"You better be. And you still sure you don't want me to go to Chicago with you to break his nose? 100% sure?" Danny made sure to let her know, looking over at her.

She patted his arm. "You're somethin' else, Danny." She smiled.

"Okay, we're here." Kono piped up. Danny parked relatively close to a bar that had a large, palm tree neon sign and words below. _Duke's Kauai._ Cassie slammed the car door as she looked up at the place, checking her surroundings and watching all the happy passersby continue with their lives. It was gut instinct, something she always did. She always had to check her surroundings, it was just something cops always did. She didn't really feel suited for the occasion since she was in tight, dark blue jeans and a yellow tank top that managed to show a little belly and plain, black Converse.

But she let that thought linger away. Kono turned to her eagerly, grabbing onto her hand. "Come on." She beamed, Cassie smiling back, nodding along with her while Danny trailed along after them. They entered the pretty filled up bar, men and women alike scattered all over the place, most of them sitting outside with their drinks. The air was a little arid but comfortable. The girls and Danny headed straight to the bar, sitting themselves onto the stools and watching the bartender. Eventually, he noticed the two attractive girls stumble into his bar and headed straight to them.

"What's it going to be for tonight?" He asked with a grin.

Cassie gave a mischievous look at Kono and then to Danny before looking back at the tall, skinny bartender. "I'll be having a Hawaiian Margarita. And make it quick." She pointed at nothing in specific.

"Yeah, I'll have the same." Kono replied.

"I'll just have a beer." Danny said.

After a nod from the bartender, he strolled off to get their drinks. "And that'll be the only one I'll be having." Kono chuckled, looking over at her two friends who were seated just beside her. Cassie was seated in between Danny and Kono and she felt comfortable, like she was at home. She really missed Hawaii and being with these two.

"Since it's my first day in Hawaii, we'll start slow," She winked. "So, how's things been here in Hawaii since I've been gone? Same old, same old, right?"

"Pretty much. Chin hasn't changed, Steve's the same and well, Danny, he's the same too." She pointed over at Danny who agreed with a nod.

"How's things at the CPD? Got any cool stories to tell?" Danny said, he too crossing his arms and leaning his body against the bar while staring up at Cass.

"Actually, I do," She smiled, thanking him mentally for bringing it up. Immediately, the two listened in. "I was called to a scene where some robbery was going on, I think it was at convenience store," She thought for a moment. "Anyway, through the radio, I was being told that I had to be quick, since it was reported the seventeen year old was armed and that he could shoot at any time," When she said that, Danny shook his head a little but carried on listening. "So I turned my sirens on and started to speed as fast as I could. Once I had the convenience store in sight, I did the coolest drift and came to a halt perfectly. It was like Fast and Furious." She laughed, placing a hand on Danny's arm. Kono in turn laughed as well.

"Think you're turning into a badass cop, huh?" He grinned.

He gave him a little punch on the arm. "I'm not turning into one," She said as matter-of-factly. "I _am_ one. You have to admit it, Danny."

"I think she's a pretty badass cop." Kono smiled, nudging her arm into Cass.

"Fine, fine, I have to admit, she's pretty badass," He said. "Can't get anymore badass than that." He joked.

And as they were talking, the bartender finally showed up, placing the respective drinks in front of them. He smiled at all three of them. "Anything else I can bring you guys?"

"Yeah, actually," She looked up at him and sighed. "Apartment keys so I can stay here in Hawaii." He looked at her, a little puzzled and bewildered. It took time for the bartender to realize she was joking.

He smiled nervously, feeling a little stupid for taking so long. "Uh, can't help you with that. Anyway, if you need anything, I'll be over there." He pointed over to the spot on the other side of the bar. Eventually, he disappeared.

They watched him leave. "You know, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if you stayed." Kono said in a tone that reminded Cass of sadness.

Cass let her head drop a little, sipping some of her drink and putting it back down. "I know, but Chicago is where I am now. I mean, I love hawaii," She looked over at both of them. "But... It's not that easy."

"How isn't it easy? You got me and Kono here and you live all by yourself in Chicago in probably some lousy apartment. Come on, Cass, Hawaii is where you should be, and you know it." Danny commented, he too sharing the same tone as Kono.

She knew he was right. "This place reminds me of my parents. I know, you'll probably tell me to get over it, but -"

"Hey, hey, I wouldn't say that. I get it, don't beat yourself up about it, okay?" He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, making her nod, before he let it fall. Jesus, if only all men were as cool as Danno.

"But just so you know, if you ever change your mind, me and Danny are going to be the first to know, right?" Kono smiled, trying to lighten up the situation.

"Of course, you still doubting?" She smiled back, taking another sip of her drink. The other two copied her. There was a short silence between them, but it was satisfying and comfortable. It wasn't like the silence in her apartment back in Chicago. Maybe she really was making a mistake in staying so far from her friends and her parents, despite them being five feet under a mound of Earth. But Hawaii had always been so special to her, there was no denying that. If anybody at the CPD were to see her in Hawaii, they'd probably not recognize her because of the way she acted. In Chicago, it was all formal, even with her friends. But here, she could be herself, she could be the girl that liked to have a little fun now and then and that liked to piss off Kono and Danny sometimes.

"Where you staying?" Danny questioned.

"She's staying with me at my apartment." Kono piped up, drinking a little of her alcoholic beverage.

"Ah, that's good then," Danny said. There was a short silence and all you could here was the background noise consisting in glass clanging, chattering and music. "You know, you can still be a badass cop, but _in_ Hawaii." He randomly spoke up again, using hand gestures to reinforce his idea. He took a sip of his beer and Cass laughed a little.

"Danny, I promise I'll think about it, okay?" She wanted to stay. Her gut was telling her to stay for goodness sake. _Stay, Stay, Stay_ her mind begged.

She watched how their faces changed and she hated those faces, like they were disappointed. "Hey," Cass attempted. "Hey!" She said a little louder, putting her arms around both of them and pulling them in closer playfully, taking advantage of the fact that she was in the middle. "Guys, I love you both more than you can imagine, alright," She looked at both of them searching for some sort of confirmation. She giggled a little at Danny's facial expression. "Alright?" She said again.

"Alright, my mainlander, but I think you're ruining my hair!" Danny said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. She laughed, Kono doing the same too, eventually letting go of both of them. He moved his hand across his hair in order to fix it.

"Alright." Kono nodded but a grin still planted on her face.

"You know, you guys could move to Chicago. The CPD are in need of a new sexy, cop," Cass looked over at Kono and winked. "And also, a sarcastic," She looked over at Danny but she noticed how he began to give her that look that read 'watch it'. "But awesome and funny cop." That look vanished as he smiled.

"Nah, Hawaii is the best." Danny added, a grin on him.

"It's easier if just one moved instead of two." Kono mentioned smartly. She had a point.

"And anyway, Chin is here, and so is Steve," Danny began, sipping beer once again. "And wouldn't want Steve calling me everyday telling me how much he misses me." He said sarcastically, making both women laugh.

"I guess you and this Steve are pretty close." She commented.

"More like inseparable." Kono whispered, her head almost sitting on Cass's shoulder. Cass snickered at the thought.

"What she say?" Danny questioned.

"She said she agrees." Cass lied, trying hard to hold in her urge to laugh.

"Have you both forgotten I'm trained to read people's body language, or? Come on, tell me." He pointed at them.

"Yeah, I'm still hoping for the day he stops being so good." Kono smiled, nudging Cass.

Danny, a little unsure if that was supposed to be flattering, moved on. "Hey Kono, you have realized Steve hasn't met our mainlander here yet, right?"

Kono nodded. "Yeah, I know. How about tomorrow?" It was like they were planning things without even asking her first.

"Is that really necessary?" Cass questioned.

"Of course!" Danny patted her back. "Look, you're a badass cop," He started using his fingers to do some sort of countdown. "You're our friend," He continued counting. "And you're cool."

She smiled, finding it all so flattering. "Uh, I don't know. Don't you think he'll get a little mad when he finds out I'm dragging you two out of really important work to hang out with me?" She chuckled at herself. Danny hated how she sometimes belittled herself, not even realizing how much of a good company she really was.

"Don't worry about it, like I said, I'm pretty sure he'll be fine about it." Kono added with a smile.

"I'm pretty sure I remember him telling me he had a thing for brown headed girls. But I dunno." Danny commented, more to himself than to anybody else.

"Danny! He's your boss," She slapped his arm gently. "Don't even go there."

"Hey!" Danny rubbed the spot where she had smacked him. She rolled her eyes, grinning, knowing he was strong and that she definitely hadn't hurt him in the slightest. "Just speaking the truth."

Cass turned to face Kono, who had turned a little silent and she noticed how she had a worrying expression on. She looked at the same spot Kono was looking at but couldn't tell why Kono was acting so strangely. Danny eventually noticed too. "Kono, you okay?" Danny asked, a little concerned.

She looked back at Danny and then her eyes landed on Cass. "I think I just saw Keoni Kalamakki, you know, the guy from the case we're on."

"Keoni Kala who?" Cass questioned, confused. This time, Kono had her full attention.

Danny's facial expression mirrored Kono's and at this point, Cass was becoming a little worried and agitated. "He's the guy bringing in those drugs from the mainland, right? What the hell is he doing here?" Danny in a slight whisper said as they all watched where Kono was looking.

"I don't know," She looked at him, stone faced. "But it's not good," She looked back again at the spot. "Look, look, look, he's not alone." Kono said, pointing quickly. Cass eventually spotted this 'Keoni'. He was actually small, rather too small for a man. He was Asian and had grey hair. He didn't look intimidating at all, Cass thought. Of all the people she had arrested, this one was the least frightening. Keoni looked around rather nervously before giving firm handshakes to some strong, muscly men with sunglasses. There was no need to wear sunglasses at night. They definitely looked suspicious.

"What are we going to do then?" Cass questioned.

"I think I'm going to call Steve. Keep an eye on him." Kono said nervously as she looked between the two, grabbing her phone and eventually walking off to a secluded spot to make the call.

"The guy has a pistol, at least from what I can tell," Cass pointed out a little harshly, noticing the Keoni guy had failed miserably in hiding the pistol under his Hawaiian shirt. "What the hell is this Steve going to do!?" She spoke to Danny in a faint whisper, though she wasn't sure why. Keoni and his men were way too far from them.

"Trust me, you don't wanna mess with this guy. We've been trying to track that asshole down for at least two weeks and he wouldn't show. By the looks of it, he just wants the money. We can't do this alone, we need back up. He's known for killing people in point blank, and I'm talking kids, too. His criminal record is as dirty as the bottom of my shoe." Danny said, though he never once unglued his eyes off Keoni. Cass instantly felt disgusted. Suddenly, probably from all the staring, Keoni turned around and gave Danny a strange look. Immediately, both Danny and Cassie stared off into some place else, hoping it wouldn't look like they were obviously staring. When he turned back around, Danny noticed he leaned in a little closer to his men, probably whispering something over what had just happened.

"Shit." Danny mumbled.

Keoni looked back once more and began to walk off, his men trailing along, and by the sudden speed they were taking off at, it was obvious they had caught on what was happening. They were being observed and they didn't like it. "Okay, maybe calling this Steve guy isn't such a bad idea." Cass looked over at Danny, both instantly jumping off their stools to follow Kono. But before that, Cass quickly slammed a few dollar bills onto the bar, then darting back to Danny. She was now in 100% cop mode.

They found Kono still talking at the phone. "Alright, boss," Kono hung up, stuffing the phone in her pocket. She looked up at the two cops in front of her. "He was asleep. He said he's on his way. I told him we got Keoni in sight." She said, stone faced.

Cass nodded. She looked over Kono's shoulder, noticing they were distancing further and further away from them. "Danny, get the hell in the car." Cass said sternly, grabbing Danny's forearm for some reason.

"What?" He said, a little confused.

"Get in the car!" She looked over Kono's shoulder again. It seemed they were getting into a black van with darkened windows. Great.

Instantly, they got the memo and rushed to Danny's Camaro. There was no conversation going on between them. They couldn't let this asshole escape. Cass managed to reach the Camaro quicker than Kono, so she opted to sit in the front seat. Once they saw the van starting to drive off, Danny began to drive. "Danny, tell me you have some sort of pistol?" Cass asked.

"What, I thought you had one?" Danny questioned, not looking over at her, just carefully following the van. You could tell from his tone of voice that the adrenaline was beginning to pump.

"Danny, you really think they would let me carry a gun on a plane, let alone in my suitcase?" She said with a tinge of annoyance. It was the heat of the moment. They were out to catch a criminal and that always made her mood change.

"Um, okay, good point," He pointed at no where in specific, nodding. "In the glove box." Cass, without hesitation, reached for the glove box and found a black pistol neatly stuffed in their. She pushed the barrel pack, noticing it was filled with some bullets. Satisfied, she pushed the barrel into position.

"We can't shoot yet," Kono made sure to tell her. "We could hurt somebody, other than Keoni." She was right. They were still in a busy area.

"I know, I know, okay?" She said, looking over at Kono. She huffed. She looked back at the van, watching it ahead. "Just don't lose him."

The van began to dissipate away from the busy town area and into a more secluded part of town. It was only going to make things more complicated, knowing it would be obvious they were trailing after them. If Keoni had men, it must have meant that they would be willing to protect him, no matter what it cost. They had guns for sure. Cass read criminal's minds. Danny noticed the van was picking up speed, and so he did too.

Suddenly, one of the windows began to roll down and Cass began to squint, trying to tell what was happening. The rather fat guy was having trouble sticking himself out of the window. That's when his arm managed to pop out and in his hand... a pistol too.

"Oh shit," Cassie said. "Get down!" She ordered, and a bullet was shot just after, merely scratching the skin of the Camaro.

"Ah, come on! Today out of all days, you son of a bitch?!" Danny said to himself as he tried hard to peep so he could continue to drive. Though he kept his head low.

Another bullet was fired, once again scratching the Camaro's skin, making sparks form. "Okay, you know what, Kono? We need to start shooting." Cassie said, biting down on her teeth. She was keeping her head down, her face literally one centimeter away from the glove box.

"You know, I don't know if that's a good idea considering you don't really have a good spot to take cover!" Danny yelled as he began to speed faster, gripping tightly onto the driving wheel. The van was zooming away from them.

"That, or we get shot! I don't know about you, Danny, but I don't want to die at twenty-eight!" She yelled a little loudly. "Kono, you ready?" She looked over at her, a sense of confidence in her eyes.

"Yeah. You first." Was all she said.

Cass nodded. And faster than lightening, she felt the Officer in her come to life. Danny made the windows roll down and she began to shoot bullets into the back glass of the van, making it break. She quickly returned to her spot, alternating shots between Kono.

"Drive, you idiot!" Keoni shouted at the man who was driving the van. He simply nodded, obeying him instantly and saying nothing.

"Christ's sake," She rolled her eyes and then huffed heavily, mumbling angrily to herself. "Welcome to Hawaii, Cass!" She yelled to herself, going for another shot.

Kono's phone began to vibrate. She grabbed it quickly out of her pocket. On the screen, Steve's face appeared and so did his number. She kept her head low and then quickly answered. "Boss?" She questioned. It instantly caught Danny and Cass's attention. They both looked at her patiently. Cass could hear her boss mumbling but couldn't make out what was being said. Kono just kept nodding. Cass's eyes at this point read _'What the hell are we supposed to do now?'_

* * *

 _ **Notes:** Find out what happens to Cass, Kono and Danny in the next chapter. Steve will be introduced in the next one. Don't forget to tell me what you think. I really need some advice and feedback._


	2. Did You See That?

**_Notes:_** _Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, short or long. Thank you a lot. And thank you to those who alerted this story or favourited. I'm sorry if this part with Keoni gets a little boring but it will build up to the meeting between Steve. I hope it's what you expect... anyway, here goes._

* * *

 _'But all that counts is what comes next'_

* * *

Chapter 2: Did You See That?

Danny suddenly, and quite abruptly, swiveled and drifted slightly around the corner as they continued to chase the black van ahead. It was getting tense. The shooter in the van had yet to back down, and the same could be said for Cassie and Kono. They were slipping into an area that was badly lit. There were hardly any streetlights around. That was going to make it even harder to keep up with those guys.

"What did Steve say, Kono? I need a little," Danny huffed and struggled as he made another quick turn. "Help here!" He finished.

"I told him we're chasing the guys and that they're armed," Kono said loudly and clearly but showing signs of being tense. But she remained firm and strong. "He's tracked our location and he's coming to help us. We can't let Keoni go, otherwise he's going to go back to the mainland and then there will be nothing we can do."

"We have to make the van stop somehow, right?" Cassie suggested, she still taking cover.

"And how do you plan on doing that, huh?" Danny questioned, since he was the one driving. He was beginning to think that her idea was to barge and ram into the van. There was no way he could let himself do that to his car.

"I don't know," She responded irritably. It was strange how just a few minutes ago, they were laughing and drinking in a bar and now, they were chasing a drug dealer wanted all over the island and back on the mainland. This wasn't what she had bargained for. "Confuse the driver."

"How do I _confuse_ the driver, Cass?" Danny responded, making it sound like it was a stupid question.

"Speed ahead of him, just anything to make him swerve off the road, we can't keep them moving!" Cassie threw out, making Danny's mouth shut. His foot forcefully kicked the pedal and they began to speed even faster.

The silver Camaro began to go faster, making Keoni extremely nervous. He tried his best to stay calm but was finding it hard to maintain that stability within himself. He slapped the driver's arm several times, saying in Hawaiian for him to hurry up or he was going to shoot him. Obviously, that only made the driver even more nervous. What Kono was worried about was the fact that they were going to be even closer to the shooter.

Danny managed to catch up with the van and drove side to side, though the van would oscillate every second due to Danny trying to keep up. He would get faster but then got slower. Without any hesitation, Cassie and Kono began to shoot. Glass, tyres, whatever - they needed the damn van stopped.

"Shoot the fools! Don't you understand English!?" Keoni yelled. From what Cassie could see, there were two men seated at the back, Keoni sitting in the middle but ducked down. She began to shoot the men. The side windows were proving a little impossible to break through. Probably that damn unbreakable glass.

" _Pepehi a make, ho'omake!"_ Keoni could be heard yelling over the sound of tires screeching the asphalt. Cassie was sure, despite her Hawaiian being a little rusty, that he had ordered his men to 'kill'.

One of the grumpy looking men popped his head out of the window. Cassie was beginning to think these idiots had far too much confidence knowing the enemy was also armed. "Looks like someone wants a bullet for dinner." She seethed, staring deeply into his eyes before quickly shooting the guy in the head and making him drop lifelessly, his body hanging off the window now, blood trailing behind. She had to admit, killing somebody was never easy. It's just like they say; the day you get used to it is the day you should stop being a cop.

"Okay, remember the part where I said you were a badass cop?" Danny began. "Yeah, I couldn't agree more." He said, making Cassie grin a little but returning back to what she needed to do.

Kono was shooting desperately trying to hit the other man, now sitting only with Keoni. But he, after watching his friend get killed, pretty much cowardly backed away, hiding alongside his master, Keoni.

"Kono, aim for the asshole at the back, I'll aim for the driver!" Cassie said.

"Sure thing!" She piped up as she began to shoot the two at the back, or at least try to shoot.

She began to shoot once again, constantly pulling the trigger hoping that it would hit the driver. But it was proving difficult. It was like watching a race, a bloody and dangerous race. Cass went to shoot again until that dreaded sound hammered through her brain; she was out of ammo. "Danny, ammos out!" She shook the pistol angrily, throwing it out of the window with a little rage. "What now?" She looked over at Danny a little worried now.

"Here, I've got another." Kono said, quickly handing her over another. Cassie was quick to accept it. But she was beginning to think shooting was far too hard and tiring. She needed another plan. A better one. She decided to place the pistol into her back pocket of her jeans, finding it uncomfortable. But it had to do for now.

"What the hell, Cass, I liked that pistol!" Danny retorted.

"Danny! I'l replace that after, now can we worry about what's important?" She retorted back. She looked around nervously, thinking of something quickly. She noticed how the road ahead was going to turn into a very sudden curve. That's when her brilliant idea sparked. "Drive faster." She ordered.

"If I could, I would, okay?" Danny continued to look at the road. But he was beginning to drive a little faster.

She noticed how the driver wasn't armed; she decided to take advantage of that. She popped herself out of the window, acting casual and making sure she made her chest look 'a little bigger than usual'. "Hey, you!" She called out. He tried hard not to look but was tempted to. His eyes only just moved to the corner but he couldn't look further. He didn't want to. Cass had to try a little harder. Danny was finding it a little uncomfortable how his friend's butt was pretty much up in his face.

"Stop pretending like you don't want it! Huh?" She bellowed, a smile on her face. Keoni was looking disgusted. Why? Because Cassie's plan was actually beginning to work. The driver quickly glanced at her, clearly nervous. He gave her chest area a very quick glance. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. His eyes were hungry. Cassie began to playfully push her yellow tank top a little further up, though she was not going to go as far as actually stripping. _All men are the same_ , she thought. She had far more self respect for herself than that. But she wanted to get an emotion out of him. His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement as he tried to decide whether he cared more about the road or the girl clearly teasing him.

"You fool, the road!" Keoni growled, but it was too late. Just before he could even hit the brakes, the van hit against the metal railing that lined the corner of the road, making the van come to an abrupt stop. Danny managed to brake in time. Only then did Kono and Danny understand her plan. They watched in shock as the crumpled up van began to fume up. There was no movement. Instantly, Danny stepped out and Kono and Cassie followed.

Cassie was the first to notice movement until she realized it was Keoni taking off bare foot. She could easily shoot but she thought it was better not, probably because she thought they might need him later for information. She chased after him instinctively. The other two managed to scramble out too and ran into random directions, Kono and Danny going after one with their guns.

Cassie tried to catch up to him but for a small man like him, it was actually surprising to see his agility and stamina being put to the test. Keoni kept turning around every so often to check he wasn't being chased, but Cassie wasn't going to get off his back so easily. "You son of a bitch, get back here!" Cassie yelled. He quickly diverted into nearby trees, making it all a little more confusing. She was beginning to have enough; she got the gun out in frustration.

"You could make this a lot easier and just stop!" She yelled again, this time with the gun pointing straight at him.

He turned around rather abruptly. "You wish!" He coughed up, staggering on forward. That right about hit a nerve in Cassie. She shot several times before it managed to hit him in the leg, making him yell a rather loud _ah!_ before stumbling violently to the ground. She eventually caught up with him, making sure her gun was constantly pointed him as he moaned in pain. She couldn't care less. "You don't look like a cop." He grinned, dirt covering his lips, probably from the fall.

"Shut up." She growled through gritted teeth, the pistol pointed at his head. She grabbed her phone and called Kono. She watched over him, noticing how he was ridiculously trying to crawl away but couldn't. She put her phone to her ear.

"Cass? Cass, what's going on?" Kono answered quickly and quite nervously. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Keep still or I'll shoot the other leg," She seethed, threatening Keoni. Kono heard that. He grumbled. "I got him floored. I'm about a few meters into the bunch of trees nearby the crashed van. What now?"

"Hang on, me and Danny will be right there. Don't let him run," She said, hearing Kono's footsteps through the phone. "Steve's arrived. Danny's asking if you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'll see you here." She hung up and placed the phone back into her back pocket.

Out of no where, Keoni began to chuckle, finding something obviously amusing. Cassie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Poor Five-0, needed to ask some random girl for help. I knew those fools couldn't make it on their own," He laughed and then went into a coughing fit. Cassie didn't budge. "It's funny, actually."

She paused, looking over at him and feeling angry. She leaned up against a tree hoping that Danny and Kono, and apparently Steve too, would just arrive and get her out of here. She quickly looked over at Keoni's wound on his leg. He looked over at her, still floored, his leg bleeding pretty badly. "How about you come here and give my wound a little kiss?" He grinned, mentioning the bullet wound just under his knee cap. He noticed she was looking.

"I think you're forgetting who has the gun here." She playfully shook the gun, though she wasn't smiling. She loved her job sometimes. Though she did remind herself she was out of her 'zone', since she wasn't exactly a cop at the HPD but more like a cop at the CPD.

"Come on, you've caught me, haven't you?" He chuckled.

She ignored him again.

"I sense something's wrong with you." He randomly implied. She was taken aback by this and looked at him directly in the eyes. He had that stupid grin on. She hated it.

"Yeah, it's your presence. Now shut up, okay?" She warned him.

"No, no," He laughed. "It's you." He pointed, struggling clearly.

"What about _me_?" She said angrily, not liking where this was going.

"You're troubled. My father taught me how to see people's auras," He babbled, Cassie knowing it was all BS. She rolled her eyes and looked over at something else. "Too bad he died." He said in a cold voice.

"Am I supposed to care, or what? I don't get it." She stomped over to him.

"Not really," He sighed, smiling and then lying back down, staring up at the sky. He winced as he remembered the pain but continued to stay still. "You haven't killed me yet. You must be a very weak cop, if that's what you even are." He chuckled.

Her hand tightened around the pistol. He was beginning to annoy her. "Oh, I see," He pointed at the gun. "That's right. Let me walk all over you. It's quite easy actually. All I did was call you weak and -"

"Fuck you!" She said, pointing the gun at him and shooting his other leg, three times in a row, each time, making him yell louder in pain. Suddenly, all the anger dissipated. She had a little problem with her temper, a little like Danny.

"Cass!" Kono ran over to Cassie and pulled her away, though Cassie's angry eyes remained fixed on him. She couldn't bring herself to kill him right there and then. Maybe she really was weak after all.

"Ah geez, Cassie," Danny stumbled just behind Kono. "What happened, huh? You okay?" He asked worriedly, placing his arms on her shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She said through thin lips. In her peripheral vision, she saw a tall, man stand close by but didn't look over.

"Get him up." Kono spoke to the other cops that had now gathered with them. They nodded, getting the Keoni guy off the ground.

"Talking about getting here on time." Danny looked over at Steve, a little annoyed, as he headed towards the trio. _So that's Steve_ Cassie wondered. She had yet to see him and there he was, standing in front of her. He had a concerned face. She guessed it was because he didn't recognize her. Hell, he probably thought she was a civilian.

"What did he say?" Kono spoke to Cass. She looked hella' worried.

"The usual crap they all say." She said, avoiding any type of eye contact. She looked up for a moment, noticing Steve was now with his hands on his hip, a leg a little bit more forward than the other as he held the stance. He looked at her then looked over at Danny, almost searching for some sort of explanation.

"Okay, let's get back." Danny mentioned, throwing his arms up.

* * *

"Steve, this is Cassie, Cassie this is Steve," Danny used his arms to point at each person. Cassie was seated up against the ambulance as the medics strongly suggested they checked her, despite not even showing any signs of being harmed. But Kono insisted. Keoni was all shackled up, ready to face his very long time in prison. "Cassie's known Kono and I for awhile now."

"Steve McGarrett. I've heard about you." He said with a welcoming grin. Cassie mustered the same smile, though a little weakly. His voice resembled that of somebody who had just woken up. It had that husk to it. She liked it. She noticed instantly his greenish-grey eyes and found them quite hallucinating.

"Cassie Brooke." She replied simply. Kono's hand was slowly but gently resting on her shoulder comfortably. She couldn't hold the stare any longer and decided to look over at Keoni as they shoved him into the HPD police car, her teeth gritting at the sight of him.

"Hey," Kono said, noticing what she was looking at. "Good job out there." She patted her shoulder gently.

Cassie smiled, looking up at Kono. "It was nothing. Anything for the team." She jokingly lifted her fist in the air. Danny bumped into it with his fist, a smile on his face too. She felt a little out of her senses. She wasn't comfortable around strangers, let alone an _attractive_ stranger that happened to be her friend's boss.

"This is the Cassie Brooke you wouldn't stop talking about, huh?" Steve questioned, specifically talking to Danny. Steve was sure he had some sort of thing with her, despite the whole Rachel thing. But he was still sure. And after all, she didn't look so bad physically talking. He took in her brown, tousled hair, small face and auburn eyes. He wondered how come she showed up today, and what she was doing on a case with both of them.

"Yeah, it is." Danny grinned, Kono doing the same.

"I'm staying in Hawaii for twenty-five days. My boss back at the CPD accepted, so I decided to come here." Cassie piped up. She didn't want this Steve to think they spoke for her. Then she regretted even talking, not realizing how random her remark was.

 _CPD? Chicago Police Department_ Steve thought to himself momentarily. So, she was a cop. He then made a mental note to ask Danny why he had kept that information to the side. He had to admit, he wasn't expecting her to be a cop, but it made sense now. She did have a larger muscle mass on the arms for a woman.

"You arrived today?" Steve questioned, making small talk, still standing strong with that stance of his.

"Yeah." She nodded. _Jesus, she arrived today and she had to deal with something like this already?_

"Okay, we're pretty sure she's fine." A random medic came to them, clasping his hands together, announcing Cassie's obvious and clear well being. She was just glad she got the all clear. Sometimes Kono could worry too much.

She stood up, Kono still keeping her hands on her. "Don't you think we should get going? It's pretty late, boss." Kono looked over at Steve. It was still dark.

A little breeze that brushed his face made him wake up from his daze. "You're right. Make sure she get's home," He pointed only just at Cassie and then placed his hand back on his hip. "Me and Danny are going to deal with Keoni for now. Stay low. We haven't got on of his men yet. Okay?" Kono nodded, taking Cassie along with her.

For a second, Cassie looked over her shoulder to steal a quick glance of Steve. She wasn't sure why, but she did it anyway. Maybe because she hadn't seen him at all and this was the first time. He had on a grey shirt with a black vest over it and some cargo shorts matching the heavy looking boots he wore on his feet. He didn't have that look of somebody just waking up, despite Kono already having told her that he was 'asleep' when she called. She noticed he had almost the same hair colour as her, except his was far more darker with a tinge of grey around. How old was he? He sure didn't look very old, but for him to be Kono and Danny's boss, she expected him to be a little older. The stubble definitely shaved a few years off of him. She wasn't 100% sure but she was certain she had caught a glimpse of a possible arm tattoo.

Danny was chatting away with him, until he glanced up, noticing all the staring he was getting from Cassie. He was a bit confused, but kept his stare on her, his facial expression neutral, but his eyes squinted as he tried to look at her from such a distance. She held a little longer before turning away, feeling like she had already absorbed enough. She wondered to herself what she was doing. She pinched herself mentally. "Hey, I know it's been a crazy night, but I feel like having ice cream." Cassie playfully nudged Kono, trying to forget what just happened.

"Are you serious?" Kono chuckled at her.

"Of course I am." Cassie rolled her eyes. She placed her arm around Kono's waist.

Steve watched how she was very comfortable around Kono. Danny had a lot of talking to do. He eventually let his eyes wonder back onto Danny, who was doing this ridiculous thing with his hands, waving at him right up at his face. "Danny calling Steve." Danny said.

Steve swatted his arm down. "How come you never told me she was a cop? And there was me thinking you were bringing in civilians." Steve curiously questioned as they began to walk away.

"I never told you?" Danny began to question his own acts. He was sure he had told him at some point, right?

"No, never, Danny." Steve affirmed.

Danny paused for a moment, crossing his arms. "Well, yeah, she's a cop, has been for about five years," Steve nodded, looking at the distance. He noticed the crumpled up van, smoke still emanating from it. "Yeah, she did that." He pointed at the van and shrugged like it was normal.

Steve, a little startled, looked over him. He pointed at the van and then back at his partner. "What?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

Danny found his face rather amusing. They continued to walk. "She distracted the driver using her 'girl power'," Danny used his fingers to quote that last part, leaning back slightly for some reason. Steve preferred not to ask what he meant. "And it worked by the looks of it," He once again pointed at the van as they headed to the Camaro. The HPD police cars were beginning to dissipate. The officer who had taken Keoni away had left already. "She's a pretty badass cop, I gotta' tell ya."

"McGarrett," An officer called over, interrupting them for a moment. He turned around to find one of the HPD guys coming over. "We're keeping him locked up till tomorrow. You decide what you do with him after." Officer Duke said, imitating the stance Steve was doing.

"Got it." Steve said, allowing Duke to wander off again.

"Is it just me or are you tired too?" Danny randomly commented, getting a grin from Steve.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired, buddy," Steve replied. "I'm just glad he got caught. I need to tell Chin," He said more to himself than to anyone else. "What was her name again?" Steve questioned, a little out of the blue.

Danny put his thumb over his shoulder in a questioning manner. "What, Cass? I call her Cass, so does Kono, but her name's really Cassie. Yeah, we have this thing where we call each other mainlander. At least she understands." He longed on.

Steve nodded, though slightly out of his zone. It must be from waking up at one AM in the morning. He remembered her name. Did Danny really think he was that stupid? He just wanted to hear Danny say it.

* * *

 _ **Notes:** Ah, I hope it was worth it, I promise things get more interesting._


	3. Ho'a'o (Try)

**_Notes:_** _Welcome back guys. As usual, thank you to the new reviews/alerts. I appreciate them a lot. If you have any questions, do PM. I was also wondering if you guys preferred I revolved more around the characters personal lives rather than around their cases. I think it would be more interesting that way. What do you think? Do tell me. Anyway, here's the chapter. This one is really a filler more than anything and you may notice it is way shorter than the others, so bear with me here._

* * *

 _'Why did you have to wait to find me?'_

* * *

Chapter 3: _Ho'a'o (Try)_

"Hey!" Cassie tried to shove Danny's arm away. He was trying to playfully stick some ice cream into her mouth after digging up a rather large ball of ice cream from his small tub. "I have my own, thanks." She grinned at him, sticking her own ice cream in her mouth.

It had been a week since Keoni was arrested and shoved into a prison cell where he'd now be staying for a very long time. Thankfully, today Steve had allowed Kono and Danny to take a small break since they weren't working on a very big case yet. But knowing Hawaii and having dealt first hand with some Hawaiian criminals, she knew that peace wouldn't last very long. Cassie was thanked dearly for giving the Five-0 some help, especially from their Governor, Governor Denning. She insisted it was nothing but he begged to differ. A few of the other officers were a little shocked and probably even a little unsure about her, since she wasn't a regular around here and was an officer at the CPD, not the HPD.

The trio sat at the table at the oceanfront Tropics Bar and Grill situated at the Waikiki hotel, eating some ice cream al fresco. She liked little things like these. She looked over at Kono, grinning, as she watched Danny play around with her. She knew there was none of this in Chicago. Maybe the ice cream and the pizza sure was good in Chicago, but what about her friends? Danny and Kono? They would be miles away from her and the only thing maintaining the friendship bond strong would be a couple of phone calls and messages. When she promised Danny on her first day in Hawaii that she'd 'think about it', she really had kept the promise. But she was torn between two worlds. She didn't think the decision would be so hard, especially if her heart was begging for her to stay in Hawaii.

"Cass, you're not going to do anything to stop him?" Kono asked her and then giggled as he continued to mess around.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Danny put his arms up defensively before eventually leaning back on his seat. It was really sunny today, as usual, and the palm trees shone bright under the sunlight. The water looked appetizing. Though she reminded herself she had a little phobia of water.

"So, did Steve really let you guys come meet me here?" Cassie questioned, finishing the rest of her ice cream.

"Yeah, why wouldn't he? Besides, you were the one who saved our asses." Danny mentioned, sticking a finger in the air slightly. Kono laughed.

Cassie let a grin form. "I guess but this wont be happening every week. Besides, I'm the one on vacation, not you guys." She pointed intimidatingly at both of them.

"Oh, lucky you." Kono grinned, eventually copying Danny's stance and lying back on her seat. Thank goodness for the parasol blocking a significant amount of sun, otherwise they'd be sunburned wrecks.

Cassie's phone vibrated in her little bag. She rummaged through her things and tried to shove her things to the side to find her phone. Eventually, she found it right at the bottom and glanced at the screen. One message. And from the last person she wanted to hear from.

"What is it, Cass?" Kono asked, furrowing her eyebrows, noticing Cassie's odd face as she glanced at the phone's screen.

She quickly looked up at her then back at the phone. "Those stupid messages, you know, the advertisement ones." She rolled her eyes, Kono nodding and understanding the frustration.

Except it was no advertisement message at all. It was Gabe. He had tried to contact her but when they were in the bar, she couldn't hear her phone vibrating and so he decided to leave her a message. Why was he even messaging her after everything that was said between them? After everything he had done to her? It's not like she cared but she decided to open up the message to read exactly what he said. She prepared herself to get a laughing fit, knowing he was probably going to ask for forgiveness. But she knew better.

 _Cass, we need to talk. It's been way too long, don't you think? We said some pretty regrettable things at my apartment when you stormed out. You don't know how much that hurt._

She had to try hard not to laugh. _'You don't know how much that hurt'?_ _More like you don't know how much it hurts to be used, you idiot_ she scowled him mentally. She wondered if he even knew she was in Hawaii.

 _No matter how much I try, I can't forget you._

Internally, she was laughing her head off. She fell for it the first time round, but this time, there was no way she was letting herself become blinded by his words. It's what she wanted to hear but she blocked him out completely. She looked up at Kono and Danny, who were having small talk as she stared down at her phone. She had an idea.

"Hey, we haven't taken any pictures yet," Cassie said with a grin. "At least I'll have things to remember you guys by when I'm back in Chicago."

"Sure, let's take some." Kono said with a smile.

Cassie walked over and sat between the two, the phone on front camera mode. "Alright, make the most stupidest faces ever." Cassie laughed. If there was an award, Danny would have won. The girls tried to contain themselves as they watched Danny's silly facial expressions change every time Cassie pressed the screen to take the photo. She couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun.

"No wonder I get all the girls." Danny joked, making Kono mumble 'yeah right'.

Cassie quickly swiped through the photos and thought they looked perfect. She wandered back to her seat and decided to send them all to Gabe, but without forgetting a nice caption, of course. _I have Hawaiian cop friends, I'd watch your ass._ Feeling satisfied, she pressed send, a huge grin on her face.

"What's got you so happy, huh, Cass?" Danny grinned over at her.

"Nothing, Danny." She smiled mischievously, throwing her phone back into her bag. She definitely felt a lot more loosened up.

"Aloha." A distinctive voice could be heard. Cassie turned around quickly to find Chin standing behind her with his hands on his hips with a grin.

"Chin!" Cassie got up immediately, hugging Chin. He pat her back gently as he hugged her back, giving Danny and Kono a look as he did so. Eventually, they broke apart. "Looking good." She smiled, patting his arm.

"Thanks, so, what brings you back to Hawaii?" He asked.

"Boss gave me a break. Thought I'd come by and give Hawaii a visit. Oh, and these two." She jokingly pointed at the two behind her.

"I'm pretty sure I remember you telling us you loved us. Or maybe that was just a figment of my imagination?" Danny looked over at Kono, grinning and then back at Chin.

"Well, that's great, Cassie, you deserve it." Chin piped up.

"What brings you here, cuz'?" Kono questioned momentarily as she looked over at her cousin.

"What, I'm not allowed to see your friends?" Chin said, a smile forming.

"Take a seat with us, Chin." Cassie offered. He was quick to accept it.

Suddenly, Danny's phone began to ring. He looked a little startled when he saw the caller ID. He quickly answered it but remained seated. "Something's wrong?" He asked through the phone.

Everybody just looked at him, a little puzzled. "Yeah, I know, she loves her daddy," He grinned. "Hang on, I'll be there as soon as I can. Just tell her I'll be there in no time, okay?" He said, eventually ending the call and getting up.

"Who was that?" Cassie questioned with a grin, though she took a guess.

"Rach," He said, tucking his chair in. "She says Grace can't find her Barbie and she wanted me to come 'save the day'," He grinned, probably loving how Rach was forced to call him just for Grace's sake. "Last time, I was the one who found it for her. Anyway, we'll talk later, my favourite mainlander, okay?" He put his fist up and Cassie let her fist crash against his. He did the same with Kono before eventually waddling off. Everybody laughed.

* * *

Just like she had perfectly calculated, a little after some sun sitting at the bar with Chin and Kono, they were called to the Five-0 headquarters because of some case. But she decided not to stick her nose in it, not feeling like she really was in the mood for such and also because she didn't feel like it was her business. Sure, she liked a little bit of alone time but not that much, knowing she'd get enough of that back in Chicago.

She was leaning against some railing as she watched over the beach and happy families run around, stepping in and out of the water. She was probably standing there for twenty minutes, not even realizing what she was doing. But she found the warm breeze brushing through her hair quite comfortable and liked it a lot. Some time ago, Gabe had finally responded to her very witty comeback, asking in a text ' _You're in Hawaii?'_. She could almost taste the shock through those simple three words. She decided it would be quite funny to leave the question hanging and so she didn't even respond, hoping he'd take the memo and leave her for once.

At that moment, she was completely certain she no longer wanted to swim in those waters again, and by that, she meant ever trusting somebody so much. Although there had been previous relationships before Gabe, he was really the first serious one she had had. She couldn't deny the connection they had once had. But it slowly began to die off. It happened rather quickly. She then pinched herself mentally, telling herself off for why the hell she wouldn't stop reminiscing about those things, considering she had 'moved on' from him. And knowing Gabe's persistence rather too well for her liking, once he found out she was back in Chicago, hell would commence. Just standing five minutes alone was enough time for her to realize there was yet another reason for why she had to stay in Hawaii.

A sudden rush of memories swept by her as she remembered her parents, the families gathered on the beach only intensifying her memories. She really was making a dumb decision in staying in Chicago, wasn't she? She still had a few more days until she had to pack up and go. She had to admit, she wasn't looking forward to that day. Her mind slowly but somehow wandered to the encounter she had with Steve yesterday, remembering the man with the cargo shorts.

* * *

 _ **Notes:** Ok... I hope you liked to read a little about Cassie's inner turmoil. She's hurt pretty badly! So, I'm a little stuck here and I REALLY would love a teeny-weeny bit of help. _

_When it comes to Cassie's personal life, I find it quite easy to write as I have actually been through something similar in terms of the whole Gabe thing. However, I'm not quite sure yet how Cass and Steve's second meeting should be like... Well, I have one idea in mind but I want to make it as interesting as possible, so I'd appreciate anybody else's feedback very much. I want this love story to be just on point and not cliché. I always like to hear other people's opinions. I don't feel like the first meeting was much at all so I'm trying to build it up slowly, if you get what I mean. I'm quite a slow burner. Since I will only be able to update until next week or the week after that because of exams, I'll have enough time to write the chapter up as nicely as possible to make it good for you readers. Anyway, see you guys then. Thanks!_


	4. From Commander to Steve

**_Notes:_** _I'm back, but I'll be absent for a little again. That's all I really have to say. Anyway, thanks A LOT to all my reviewers. You guys are what keep me going. I really thought hard about the suggestions I got from people and my idea... and I've finally decided in the end what I felt was best._

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 _'Brave on the outside, but in the inside, she's just fed up of getting her heart broken'_

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Chapter 4: _From Commander to Steve_

"Brad Pitt is much better looking, I'm sorry." Cass insisted as they watched the movie. It was already pretty late but the girls didn't care. The case that the taskforce had set out to solve had been done and dusted, thankfully for Cassie. Kono had the bowl of popcorn sitting on her lap as she and Cass were spread out on the sofa, seeking comfort on each other's shoulders. Cass was drooling all over the actor as he appeared on the screen momentarily.

"No way!" Kono interjected, laughing. "Bradley Cooper." Kono insisted, stuffing a bit of popcorn into her mouth.

"Kono, you have bad taste, you realize that?" She joked, though half serious at the same time. She too dug into the bowl of popcorn and stuffed them into her mouth, though Cassie eating was like a hungry beast. Kono laughed again when she saw bits and pieces of popcorn escape from her mouth. Cassie just shrugged. "How did things go with the case?" Cassie questioned curiously.

"It went just as planned. Things got a bit sticky in between... but we managed to get the guys we needed. And sorry about leaving you so early. Me and Danny didn't think we'd be getting a case so soon." Kono said, looking over at Cassie with disappointment gleaming in her eyes.

"You're a cop, and so am I," Cassie smiled. "I get it, Koko." She slapped her friends arm jokingly.

"Koko?" Kono repeated, finding Cassie's new choice of nickname a little weird. When Kono noticed she wasn't going to explain, she decided to ask something else. "Anyway, what have you been doing all day?" Kono asked, nudging her friend with her elbow, almost trying to suggest something. But Cassie didn't quite pick up on what.

"Me?" She scoffed. "Nothing. I stayed at the bar for a bit, went to the beach, oh you know, the usual." She dug her hands into the bowl of popcorn for another merciless devouring of the sweet delights.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Kono's tone altered. "I told Danny about planning something else while you're still here. He agreed, but he specifically said he wants to do something 'big'." She smiled.

"You know I don't like 'big'."

"Did I hear Danny?" Danny interrupted their little conversation as he sauntered into the living room, joining his two friends on the sofa and slumping quite violently. He groaned and let his head fall back. He sure did look exhausted. It must have been a really long day, and for the both of the them.

Cassie placed a hand on Danny's forehead, noticing his temperature was normal. "Hey, what are you doing?" Danny questioned, holding onto Cassie's wrist.

"Shouldn't you guys be sleeping or something?" Cass said, glancing between the two. "You've both had a rough day, dont'cha think?"

"You know, Danny, she's right. And tomorrow Steve said specifically he wanted us there at 9 sharp." Kono commented. Danny just closed his eyes, nodding.

"Oh, did he? Well, I'll arrive at 9:01 just to get on his nerves. I love seeing his aneurysm face." Danny joked, his eyes still closed though.

"Aneurysm face?" Cassie laughed. "Okay, I don't even want to ask," She put her hands up in defeat. "Need help getting to your bed, princess?" Cassie joked, prodding Danny's arm for some sort of response.

A long _mmm_ escaped from Danny's lips, a sign he was far too tired to even reply. Cassie found it a little humorous, giving Kono a look. The only reason they were both not sleeping yet was because of her, and Cassie knew it. So she decided to stand up, placing her hands on her hips as she did so.

"Alright, I think we should go," Kono said. "Remember," She leaned a little closer to Danny so he could hear well. "9 AM, sharp." She grinned.

"Yeah, okay, whatever, Kono." Danny flopped his hand in the air and then let gravity do its job, falling dramatically to his side. Cassie rolled her eyes and grinned at her friend's antics.

"I don't think he's going to be moving from the couch today," Kono said to Cassie. "I'll quickly clean up the dishes and put a blanket around him. I won't be long."

Cassie nodded. "Okay, I'll just head to the car."

"Sure." Kono nodded.

Cassie quickly slipped on her flats that she had removed shortly so she could stretch her legs up onto the sofa. Kono eventually disappeared into the kitchen with the cups and bowls they had used. Cassie walked through the small apartment and reached the corridor. She opened the front door and went straight to the elevator, feeling a little tired herself at that moment. She pressed the button for the elevator to descend and the doors closed. Except it didn't seem like she was moving. The damn thing seemed to be a little 'confused'. It wouldn't budge.

"Oh, come on, don't make me die in a freakin' elevator." She mumbled to herself as she continued to repress the same button over and over. She calculated that it was possibly other people on the apartment block pressing different buttons and that maybe it had jammed the elevator momentarily. Eventually, whoever was pressing the button on some other floor, stopped. Because the elevator began to descend and Cassie breathed out a sigh of relief.

The elevator doors opened when suddenly, the person she'd least expect to be standing there was, as a matter of fact, there.

"Commander Steve McGarrett?" She made it more of a question than she had initially liked to. He too seemed a little confused, a little surprised to see her. She stepped out of the elevator and analyzed him weirdly; he was dressed in similar attire from the last time she had seen him. Tonight, he was wearing a dark blue tank top that had a logo imprinted onto it on the upper left side. _NAVY_ she managed to read. So, Danny wasn't lying when he had said his boss and buddy here was a SEAL. He was also wearing his iconic cargo shorts and brown, heavy duty boots. The tank top practically revealed all his arm muscles and Cassie was correct; he did have a tattoo, in fact, he had two. She commented to herself on how he actually looked... rather _fine, rough._

 _Commander?_ So it was a sign that Danny had talked about him before, since he hadn't mentioned to Cassie that he was ranked a Commander. "Cassie? Is Danny in his apartment?" Steve questioned, and for a second, she thought she understood Danny's joke about the 'aneurysm face'. In his hand, she noticed he was holding onto a small bag that seemed to have random items scrammed into it.

"Uh, yeah, except that he's pretty much fallen asleep," She commented, grinning at the thought of Danny. She pointed at the bag in his hand. "I don't mind... I can give that to him if you want. No problem." She wanted to at least appear nice, not that she wasn't nice. Knowing that Steve was Danny and Kono's boss and also aware that she had been dragging them out of work for a little more time than she should, she had to at least make a good impression.

"This?" He lifted the bag in the air. "I can do it, but thanks, I appreciate it. I actually want to talk to Danny, too." He said. At that moment, the elevator doors closed but Cassie noticed how Steve didn't really take notice of that.

"Well, Commander McGarrett, I wish you the best of luck to get _him_ to talk." She chuckled, and he grinned at the joke, knowing all too well how Danny was like.

"Look, I know we haven't exactly got time to know each other, but from what Danny's told me about you, you can call me Steve." He added, forming a smile.

She nodded shyly. She wondered if by 'haven't gotten to know each other' was a little hint from something, but she let that thought wander some place else. "Steve. Alright, Steve, I'll remember that," She commented a little awkwardly, hating how he made her feel a teeny-weeny bit nervous. _I'm a cop, get yourself together!_ "And Danny has told me his fair share of stories about you, so I guess we'll get along just fine."

"Oh really?" Steve folded his arms together. "So, what's Danny been saying bout' me, huh?" He questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Cassie shrugged with a laugh. "Says you're a 'super SEAL'. A bit bossy," She said, loving how he kept nodding. "A little annoying sometimes, oh, and he did say this one time... Rabbit? ' _Steve only eats grass_ '." Cassie mimicked Danny.

"Me and Danny are going to have a little talk later, then." Steve said with a grin.

"I think it's only fair if I ask what Danny has been saying about me." Cassie hinted. "So, Commander, what has he been telling you? Truth, I hope." Steve noticed she referred to him as 'Commander' again and felt like intervening and telling her to call him Steve, but he decided not to.

"Actually, I've never heard a bad word about you come from his mouth," Steve said calmly, looking intently into her eyes. "You're both obviously very close." He added.

She nodded, darting her eyes quickly before looking up at his shiny orbs again. Steve noticed she was wearing tight, light blue jeans and a grey hoodie. "Uh, yeah, we really are... I've known him for awhile now. Kono too, but you already know that, Commander McGarrett."

"You forgot." Steve randomly said.

"What?" Cassie questioned.

"You said you wouldn't forget my name," Steve folded his arms once again, looking down at her. He was much taller than her and had a bigger figure. Although Cassie was far from having a weak figure, she looked like a fragile twig next to Steve. "It's Steve."

She grinned, feeling a little clumsy. She hadn't forgotten, obviously. She just felt like she still needed to keep it formal. "Sorry, _Steve_ ," She made sure to call him Steve from now on, since he insisted so much. "Okay, seriously, you better get up there before Danny falls into a deep sleep. And you definitely don't want Danny in a deep sleep."

He smiled. "I can handle Danno. How long are you going to be staying in Hawaii?" He asked. He pressed the elevator button and waited for it to open and decided to face the woman again.

A little bewildered, she responded. "Probably another two weeks or so. Man, one week went by way too fast." She sighed.

"Two weeks?" Steve repeated. "Danno said you were going in a week."

"He did?" She questioned, mirroring the confusion Steve felt. "Either I've been in a coma for a week and didn't notice, or Danno's got it all wrong." She was a little confused, since she was sure Danny wouldn't get the date wrong. But then again, Steve could have heard wrong, too.

"Yeah," He said, the aneurysm face on him. The elevator _pinged_ and the doors opened. Cassie felt a little disheartened by it and she wasn't sure why. "Look, I guess I'll see you around, Cassie. I'll be talking to Danny about this confusion." He stepped in and watched her, she doing the same, awaiting the inevitable closure of the elevator doors.

She waved a quick goodbye before the doors eventually closed on her. She eventually let herself walk to Kono's car and slumped herself in the front seat, now awaiting for Kono's arrival. She decided to turn the radio on, hoping that at this time of night, maybe they still played some good music. She changed stations, annoying static and buzzing mostly filling the air until she finally found a some what good music station. _The Beatles_ began to play and she smiled to herself, nodding to the music. She was a fan of the classics.

* * *

Steve didn't even bother to knock when he stepped into Danny's apartment, considering Danny would do the same at his house. And anyway, there was no need for the knocking, they were comfortable with each other. Steve was a little surprised when he encountered a rather sleepy looking Danny on the sofa and Kono carefully placing a blanket over his body.

"Boss? What brings you here?" Kono looked up, a little confused.

He lifted the bag in the air and then threw it delicately onto a nearby surface. Kono nodded, understanding. Steve walked over next to Kono and analyzed his partner, his mouth slightly open. A little saliva was beginning to leak. "Come on, buddy." Steve patted Danny's chin, hoping he'd take the memo and shut his mouth closed.

 _Mmmmm_ Danny mumbled, just like he had done with Cassie. But at this point, Danny was beginning to feel so comfortable in his sleep, he hadn't noticed yet it was Steve. Kono chuckled.

"Hey, Danny, Steve's here." She gave Danny a little jiggle.

"Ah come on, a dude can't sleep anymore?" Danny groaned with annoyance dripping off his every word. When he opened his eyes and looked upon the rather large figure standing before him, his eyes showed recognition. "Steve?"

Steve gave the bag he was carrying a quick point with his finger. "Grace forgot a few things at my house, thought I'd bring them back. And actually," Steve slumped his body beside him. "Me and you need to talk." He squeezed Danny's shoulders.

"Okay..." Kono questioned, looking at both of them. "I'll go. Cassie's waiting for me. See you tomorrow, Boss." Kono said.

"See ya tomorrow, Kono." Steve replied. Kono smiled before eventually leaving the apartment, leaving the two partners alone.

"You're not a human, you realize that?" Danny pushed himself forward, sliding a hand down his face. "I mean, you run almost everyday, your diet consists of weird green stuff and you look like you've just woken up and it's nearly midnight. Okay, what do you want?" Danny questioned, a little annoyed.

"It's called being healthy Danny," Steve commented on the side, getting a scoff in return from Danny. "Why did you lie to me about how long Cassie is staying in Hawaii?"

Danny shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I didn't lie."

"You did."

"I didn't."

"Danny, you did."

"Sometimes, I don't like you." Danny randomly commented.

"Okay, are you going to answer the question?" Steve said.

"I got the date confused, okay? Wait, is that why you're here?" Danny pondered, giving his apartment a quick once over, in search of something that had the time but with no avail.

"You got the date confused?" Steve wasn't believing it. "I doubt it since she's practically your friend."

"Yeah, okay, but your my friend and sometimes _I_ forget we're partners because we're like two different worlds. I like to use rational methods, which by the way is used by _intelligent_ cops, when it comes to catching bad guys. But you, you're more like a Neanderthal or a cave man." Danny tried to patch it up.

Steve gave out a little laugh at his joke. "Are you trying to say I'm not intelligent?" Danny didn't respond. "Okay, just tell me why you lied and I'll be out of here quicker than you can say Steve."

Danny pretended he was going to nod off. Time for Steve's plan. He stood up and headed to the stereo. He turned it on and made music blare loudly, making Danny suddenly jump and fully alert.

"Hey, hey! Are you crazy!? I live in an apartment and it's probably, what, past midnight!? Turn it down you caveman!" Danny bellowed. Steve smiled confidently, adoring how his plan worked. He eventually complied to his partners orders and turned the stereo off. "Fine! Geez, okay, I'll tell you." Steve sat on the edge of the couch, awaiting for Danny to indulge him with the information.

"Let's just say that I was trying to..." Danny paused, trying to search for the right words.

"To?" Steve repeated. "You know, Danny, I'm really in the mood to listen to some music."

"Don't even think about it!" Danny bellowed once again, putting his arm out defensively. "Alright, I thought maybe you'd be interested, since she'd be staying here for a short time."

"Interested?" Steve questioned.

"Yes, interested, Steve, are you just going to repeat everything I say?" Danny huffed.

"I still don't get it, though."

"I don't know... Look, Cassie was pretty hurt over one of her crap ex boyfriends. I thought that if I told you she'd be staying a week, you'd want to see her or maybe talk to her since she'd be gone soon. Okay? I thought maybe Cassie needed some new faces." Danny admitted.

Steve was genuinely concerned. His thoughts then turned to who this possible ex boyfriend could be and wondered what he had done to her. But he decided not to breach the subject. "Okay, first of all, I appreciate the fact that you told me the truth," Steve said. "And second of all, I talked to her just before I came here, Danny, so I don't need you going around playing cupid."

"Oh, you did? Well that's great! Okay, now I really need some sleep."

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 _ **Notes:** Okay, not a very long chapter, but hey, I thought I'd give you guys something since I'm going to be absent for a little. Don't forget to review..._


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